All Japan Pro Wrestling

All Japan Pro-Wrestling, or AJPW as it's commonly known, is a professional wrestling promotion with a history as rich and dramatic as any of the legendary matches held within its rings. It was founded on October 21, 1972, by Shohei "Giant" Baba, a colossal figure in Japanese wrestling who had previously been with the Japanese Wrestling Association. Baba's vision was to create a promotion that showcased the best of Japanese talent alongside formidable international stars, and he succeeded beyond measure. Within a few years, AJPW became the undisputed king of Japanese wrestling, setting standards for athletic competition and storytelling that would influence the sport globally.

The 1990s are often looked back on as AJPW's golden age. This was the era of the "Four Pillars of Heaven" – Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, Toshiaki Kawada, and Akira Taue. These wrestlers, through their intense rivalries and a style dubbed "King's Road," produced a string of critically acclaimed matches that captured the attention of wrestling fans worldwide. This period of dominance, however, faced its biggest challenge with the passing of Giant Baba in 1999. His wife, Motoko Baba, took the helm, but the promotion was soon rocked by internal strife.

The year 2000 saw a seismic shift when Mitsuharu Misawa, then president, led a mass defection of nearly all of AJPW's native talent to form a new promotion, Pro Wrestling NOAH. This exodus left AJPW severely depleted, costing it its television deal and plunging it into financial difficulties. A crucial turning point came in 2001 with a cross-promotional deal with rival New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and the subsequent arrival of Keiji Muto in 2002. Muto eventually became president and helped steer the company through turbulent times. While AJPW experienced further talent departures and attendance dips in the mid-2000s, it has continued to operate, rebuilding with a blend of seasoned veterans and promising newcomers, always striving to honor its legacy of hard-hitting action and compelling drama. [edit]